New Year
by Gothic984
Summary: As the year has come to a close, a strange occurrence takes place in Trinity.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories Emotion, Old Friends, Family, Difficult Decisions, Reflection, Spirit, Acceptance, Whole Again, Homecoming, Oh Father, Birthday Surprises and Misguided Feelings.

It was 1:30am in Trinity South Carolina and Matt Crower sat on the front porch swing of the boarding house with his friend Gail. As the year came to a close he had reflected on all that had happened to him since he had first set foot in Trinity and vowed not to make the same mistakes again. He was a good, incorruptible man and although this may not be the best town for a person like him, he was determined to do right by himself and the people he cared for.

Matt had been trying to keep to himself and avoid direct contact with Lucas Buck since he was lucky enough to return to his old role at the hospital; however, recently this made him feel like he was turning his back on everything he believed in and it was not like him to turn a blind eye. 'Did you go to him earlier?' Matt asked as he took a sip of his glass of juice.

Gail inhaled deeply and sighed, ever since she had accepted her dead cousin into her life the previous week she had a constant feeling of unease and something did not sit right with her. Gail had gone through the time between Christmas and New Year in a haze, she had performed like everyone had expected and smiled in all the right places but inside she wanted to scream.

This mood she was in had resulted in feelings of doubt manifesting in her relationship with Lucas; however, she had tried to shield her true feelings from him to avoid some poor soul having to take on punishment for his frustrations. Gail had made excuses about having to spend time with Caleb all week to avoid their usual rendezvous's, but she could not avoid him forever. 'Of course I did...' she said taking a large sip of her wine, '...I went and performed my girlfriend duty like a good girl should, it was the only way to get him to leave us alone tonight'

Matt forced a laugh, he could tell his friends attitude towards the man he despised so much had changed; however, he could not understand why she appeared to be forcing herself to be with him.

'You don't need to concern yourself with my relationship Matt, just be happy that he's off our backs for the time being' Gail said standing up and walking down the porch steps.

Matt had gotten used to her seemingly able to read his thoughts and shrugged it off, he followed her down the porch steps and watched as she knelt down to check on the plants in the garden. 'What are you doing here Gail? You have plenty of people who would happily be out drinking with you to celebrate the new year'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'Yep, I'm quite the popular one these days...Do you really think I want to celebrate another year trapped in this town?'

Matt smiled, this was the Gail he had grown to know when she arrived Trinity. The friend he knew had never intended to settle in this town and would do anything to uncover it's demons, she would never have seriously entertained making friends with the elite people in this town or have gotten this mixed up with Lucas Buck. It appeared his friend may be returning to her roots and he would do whatever he could to assist her with the transition. 'I don't know Gail, you seem quite cozy playing the role of first lady in Trinity' he said sarcastically and laughed when she narrowed her eyes at him.

'Oh please, as if I'd allow my relationship to be common knowledge with his townspeople. Besides, can you imagine me having to pretend I care about this place?' Gail laughed.

Matt approached his friend and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'I don't know what's happened to change your attitude, but I guarantee you he will notice if I have Gail...What's the plan here?'

Gail shook her head, 'I don't know what you're talking about Doctor...' she said feigning ignorance and finished off her glass of wine, '...As far as anyone is concerned, everything is running as normal and it will stay that way...Anyway I suppose I ought to get home to my dependents, this was nice'

Matt sighed and took the glass from her, he did not want her to go; however, they had stayed up longer than intended and he was on shift tomorrow. 'This has been lovely Miss Emory, would you like me to walk you home?'

Gail shook her head at his concern for her safety and placed a soft kiss on his lips. 'I'm a big girl, I don't need an escort...Happy new year Matt' she said giving him an affectionate hug then turned to walk home.

* * *

Lucas sat in his study drinking a glass of whiskey and reading a Stephen King novel that Gail had previously left behind. He was restless after his visit from her earlier and had chosen to check out The Stand to see what all the fuss was about. So far he was enjoying the morbid beginning of the story; however, his mind kept drifting towards his love and her state of mind earlier.

Lucas had expected to see the new year in with Gail, after all she had been part of his accomplishments of the previous year; however, she had made other plans unbeknownst to him and had left him after they had satisfied their craving for each other. She had made him promise that he would respect her prior organised engagement and stayed with him until 11:00pm before heading off to see Harvard.

Usually Lucas would not doubt his importance; however, he had sensed a change in his love ever since she had allowed herself to fully accept that Merlyn Ann Temple was alive and part of him was jealous that she had clearly chosen to spend time with another man over him. Things had just started to settle with Gail as she had appeared to accept his true nature and he did not want to give her any reason to pull away from him, so he had let her go without argument and given her the privacy she requested even though inside was seething inside.

Lucas tried to concentrate on the book and ignore the rage that was building up inside of him; however, that was becoming a hard task as it was calling out for a release. He made the effort to push down his rage previously as he was trying to be better for Caleb and Gail, knowing there was still a goodness within them both which would prevent them from condoning his usual ways of release. The problem was that the frustration he felt at this moment in time made him about ready to burst.

Lucas inhaled deeply and finished off his whiskey, then got up to head to his bed. It was nearly 2:00am and he supposed some rest might help and take his mind off his anger at the situation.

* * *

Gail wrapped her cardigan tight around her chest in an attempt to ward off the cold, she had chosen to walk a non direct route home to enable the fresh night air to sober her up and clear her head. It had occurred to her that she was only a few blocks away from the Buck mansion and she could just take the next right rather than heading home, as part of her felt bad for leaving him the way she did earlier; however, she shook off the thought and allowed her common sense to return, which warned her to keep her distance for now.

Lucas had not done anything wrong, in fact it was the opposite. He appeared to want to support her recently and make sure that she was alright with the weirdness that surrounded her, if she allowed herself to she could get lost in him completely and just throw away all her troubles; however, the old doubts that used to plague her about his character had resurfaced and she now had a dilemma on her hands. She had decided that the best course of action was to keep it strictly physical, that way she did not have to care about anything else for the time being.

A dark figure stood lurking behind a tree across the road watching Gail closely, it considered moving towards her then thought better as it sensed a couple on a back porch a few houses down. The figure stalked it's way through the gardens, being careful not to give away it's position to the woman over the road and then headed towards the back garden which was occupied by the young couple.

A strong gust of wind blew against Gail as she went to turn left down her road and made her halt in her tracks, an eerie feeling came over her which caused goosebumps to form all over her skin and she began to survey her surroundings. She suddenly felt drawn to a house over the road, it was as though something was pulling her towards it; however, she tried to disregard the feeling and turned back towards her road.

A loud scream got her attention and she ran quickly towards the back of the house. When she could see no-one on the lit up porch, she surveyed the backyard behind her and stared in horror when she spotted the mangled bodies that lay motionless on the ground in front of her.

* * *

Ben sat behind the Sheriff's Station counter staring disapprovingly at the machine bought cup of coffee in front of him, he had expected a quiet day in work after the new year celebrations; however, when he heard the news of the two bodies that were discovered last night, he knew his expectations had been premature.

'Morning Deputy...' Gail said with a smile and handed him a freshly ground cup of coffee from their favorite coffee shop, '...rough night?'

Ben gave his friend an appreciative look and stood up to take the coffee. 'Rough mornin', we didn't stop drinkin' until about 3:00am. How did you fare with Lucas?'

'I stayed up with Matt for a while and with him not drinking I got off at a semi reasonable time' she said and glanced around the Station curiously.

Ben glanced towards Lucas's office and back at Gail, there had been no sign of Lucas all morning and he was not even sure he had turned in. Ben had assumed they had been together last night as Gail did not want to spend it with him and Billy and he hoped he would not get drawn into whatever was going on with these two. 'I just assumed you were spending new year with Lucas...'

'Well you assumed wrong...' Gail interrupted, '...So did you hear about the murder last night?'

Ben sighed, he should have known there would be a reason for her coming here so early. 'Of course I've heard Gail, but I don't know the details and just cause we're friends don't mean I would give you a comment if I did'

Gail laughed, she would never use her friendship to get details for a story and would let him off with thinking that due to the rough night he had. 'I don't need details Ben, I'm the one that found the bodies...What I need is to talk to the Sheriff, I just thought I'd stop off and get a coffee for my friend first'

'You found the bodies?' Ben asked in shock, he had not had chance to look through Floyd's report on the matter and had not realized Gail had called it in.

'It appears our resident Reporter was in the right place at the right time' Lucas said leaning against the wall.

Gail sighed and rolled her eyes, she hated this appearing act that he so often did. 'Two people are dead Sheriff, I doubt their families believe it was the right place and the right time'

Lucas let out a small laugh and walked towards the counter. 'Oh come on, no-one's buying this caring act of yours. It's been months since you had a real story, I can imagine covering the deterioration of Goat Town can become tiresome...Are you really gonna pretend that seeing those bodies last night didn't make you the least bit excited Miss Emory?'

Gail shifted on the spot and tried to hide her discomfort. What happened to those people was horrific and she would never wish a thing like that on anyone; however, if she was honest she had been getting bored and discovering a real story had gotten her blood flowing.

Lucas smiled knowingly, her morbid fascination with the darker side of life always intrigued him. For someone who had experienced death so young, he would have expected her to run away from it; however, she appeared to be drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Ben glanced from Lucas to Gail and began to get uncomfortable, he hated when the atmosphere changed around them and never knew what to do to avoid being drawn in. Gail initially came here to talk to Lucas so he decided the best option for him would be to get out of their way, he trusted his friend knew what she was doing and could take care of herself. 'Well I don't know about you all but I'm starvin' so I'm gonna pop out for some food, anyone want anything?' he asked and when both of them just stared intently at each other he just left.

'You think you know so well don't you?' Gail asked bluntly.

Lucas shrugged, 'You've been in this town long enough for me to get a sense of what you really feel Darlin''

Gail laughed, she did not truly understand how she felt these days so she doubted that he did. She did not have the patience to get drawn into his games today; therefore, she chose to get back to business and raised her press pass. 'Approximately 2:00am this morning two bodies were found mutilated in one of the victims backyards. It appears that wasn't enough to get your attention last night as you were nowhere to be found on the scene...care to comment?'

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her and took a step closer. 'It grieves me that such a terrible animal attack happened in my town Miss Emory, unfortunately I was dead to the world until 8:00am after a visit from my girlfriend tired me out' he said sarcastically.

Gail shook her head and forced a smile. 'Oh I see, maybe you're losing your touch if some light activity with your girlfriend interferes with your job Sheriff'

Lucas did not appreciate her insinuation that he could not do his job and pulled her to him roughly. 'I understand what you saw this morinin' may have been traumatic love, but I'd appreciate it if you watched your mouth' he warned.

Gail felt her body soften at his touch and willed it not to betray her, she needed to remain focused and in control. 'What makes you think it was an animal attack? I saw the bodies Lucas and the bite marks looked human to me' she said placing her hands on his chest and pushing away from his grasp.

Lucas sighed, he had also checked out the bodies in the morgue and had come to the same conclusion. It was easy getting the coroner Curtis to agree the cause of death was an animal attack, to avoid panic brewing among the townspeople; however, Gail would not be so easy to convince. 'It was dark Gail, you can't know what you saw...you need to take a step back and let me do my job here' he said reaching out and stroking her arm.

Gail laughed and pulled away from his touch. 'You seriously think that I didn't examine the bodies before I called it in? I'm a professional Lucas, don't take me for a fool like the small town Reporters you have here...I know what I saw and I will report on it factually, the only question is how factual will your report be?'

Lucas inhaled deeply in irritation, he had never gotten used to his findings being questioned and when someone did they would conveniently be discarded. He was unable to make Gail disappear and there would be no convincing her to report the way he wanted her to, so he had a dilemma. 'With you being a professional and all, I'm sure you appreciate the importance of evidence remaining confidential in an ongoing investigation?...I'll do my job and investigate the matter fully, I'll also ensure the only witness in this potential crime is interviewed thoroughly. I expect you won't be publicizing your theories until you've allowed me to fully investigate the matter, or is it your practice to report on a situation with incomplete evidence Darlin'?'

Gail could sense his irritation and it amused her, it had been a long time since she was able to openly challenge a higher official and she missed the thrill of it all. 'I told you Sheriff, I'm a professional. I wouldn't publish anything that could cause detriment to an ongoing case and I will ensure I investigate the matter myself fully before writing my article...I'll await your official request for interview, good day Sheriff' she said and walked out of the Sheriff's Station confidently.

Lucas watched in exasperation as she left, then turned his attention towards Ben when he entered with his breakfast. 'There's no time for that Deputy...Come on, we have a crime scene to examine'

Ben looked at Lucas with confusion as he disappeared into his office to get his jacket and cursed under his breath at his friend, who had clearly set his boss off for the day.

* * *

Merlyn sat on Gail's front porch with the laptop on her knees, reviewing her online English literature course. Her cousin had been acting strange recently and she wanted to ensure she did everything like she was supposed to, as part of her knew Gail's behavior was due to the revelation of her true identity. Merlyn still felt lost and was struggling to find her purpose; however, her cousins acceptance of her had taken off a lot of the pressure she had been feeling.

Merlyn has chosen to focus on her online schoolwork, in an attempt to better herself so she could be of more use. Some of the courses were tedious but she was enjoying the normality of it all and would not complain. Gail had chosen to make Lucas stay away from the house, which indicated there was a problem in their relationship. She did not care really, she was just happy that it had been much easier for her to concentrate over the last week without his incessant pestering.

'Oh come on Merlyn Ann, I hardly think I'm that bad...some woman in this town would fall all over themselves for my attention' Lucas said walking casually up the porch steps.

Merlyn sighed, saved her work then placed the laptop down and stood up. 'Gail wouldn't be happy with you being here Lucas'

'What that ol' cousin of yours doesn't know won't hurt her...How have you been Missy?' he asked, ignoring her warning.

Merlyn shook her head and signaled for Rocky to stop growling at their visitor. 'Not that you actually care but I'm peachy, how's your relationship Sheriff?' she asked sarcastically.

Lucas smiled, considering she had no power these days he was impressed with her confidence. 'My relationship is just fine Merlyn-Ann, in fact your lovely cousin paid me a visit last night and she made it mighty hard for me to get up this mornin''

Merlyn hated the thought of them together, the man was a snake and had caused her family too much suffering for her to accept their relationship.

'It's lucky for me that your cousin doesn't value you opinion on our relationship then isn't it?'

'What do you want Lucas?' she asked, growing tired of whatever game he was playing.

Lucas laughed and moved closer to her. 'What I want is you gone, your meddling is becoming tiresome...I'm beginnin' to wonder whether I should just end your misery right now and be done with it.

Merlyn sensed something dark within him and she had witnessed this behavior from him before, when he had disposed of certain people after he got rid of her. She was fully aware that she had no power, she was just a girl now and if he chose to end her life there was nothing she could do to stop him. 'If you did that what excuse would you tell yourself this time Lucas?...' she said choosing not to show fear, '...The last time you convinced yourself it was a mercy killing, this time you have no excuse'

Lucas considered her words carefully, he had justified the act to his Deputy as a mercy killing and no doubt Ben would turn against him fully if he did anything to her now, not to mention how Gail would react. 'I'm not gonna hurt you here Merlyn-Ann, just pointing out the facts...Your cousin is actin' mighty strange since she found out about you, you should look into that before I have to step in and remove the unease from her life'

Merlyn laughed and shook her head at the audacity of the man. 'What...are you gonna kill me twice Lucas? I doubt that'd go over well with your girlfriend...If anythin' did happen to me, I swear I'd come back even worse than before'

Lucas smiled at the empty threat, if he did decide to dispose of the girl before him he would make sure it was permanent this time. 'Careful with your threats Missy, you of all people should know you don't want me for an enemy'

'What exactly is it that you want from me Lucas?' Merlyn asked.

'I told you...' he shrugged, '...Gail is acting off and I don't like it. Considerin' you're the one who felt the need to make your unearthly presence known, I'd say it's down to you to fix this'

Merlyn rolled her eyes and sighed, she had obviously noticed the change in Gail's behavior; however, she had not wanted to antagonize the situation even more than she already had. 'I'm not blind Lucas, I don't need you to tell me when my family ain't behavin' right. I'll keep an eye on her, but not for you...she's my family and my responsibility'

Lucas nodded, that's what he came here to hear. 'Good Merly-Ann, you take care of your family and make sure everythin' get's back to normal' he said and began strolling back to his car.

Merlyn shook her head as she watched him leave, she was relieved when he started the car up and drove away. She turned her attention towards Rocky and signaled for the dog to follow her inside, she needed to think about the best way to approach the situation with her cousin.

* * *

Matt Crower sat in his office with a cup of coffee, glancing through the file Gail had previously given him. His friend appeared to be drawn to Goat Town recently and she was convinced it was something to do with Lucas Buck, so Matt had agreed to assist her in any way he could even if it would only ease her obsession.

Gail had put together a file of newspaper clippings and property information, he was unsure what he was supposed to find; however, she had been reviewing the information for over a week and thought a fresh set of eyes might help.

Matt closed the file, placed it on his desk and lay back in his chair. His friend had seemed more determined than she had been in a long time and it reaffirmed his belief that she was returning back to the woman he first got to know when she came to Trinity. He was happy that Gail was starting to get back to her roots; however, he wondered how she would react when the realization of what she had turned a blind eye to finally hit her. She knew Lucas was evil and corrupt, if she was truly returning to her old self she would be disgusted with some of the choices she had made this past year.

'What choices would they be Doc?...' Lucas asked casually leaning against the door to the office, '...I'd say aligning herself with a man who tried to kill a law official would be the worst choice of all'

Matt laughed and shook his head, he had been expecting a visit from Lucas sooner or later since he had started helping Gail. 'Her choices are her own Sheriff, but I'm sure it won't be long until she comes to her senses' he said getting up from his seated position.

Lucas smiled, part of him applauded Matt Crower for somehow landing on his feet. Although he would get great pleasure in removing this man from his town permanently, part of him had grown to enjoy their little games and tormenting him was always a highlight of his day. 'I don't think you appreciate the seriousness of what we have Harvard, Gail's a smart woman and knows where she belongs'

Matt approached Lucas confidently and smiled. 'It appeared she belonged with me last night, bringing the year to a close and all...What did you get up to on your own last night Sheriff?'

Lucas was still annoyed over being abandoned last night and it was a sore subject for him, he could feel the rage within him start to rise and took a deep breath in an attempt to control it. 'Careful Doc...I heard you nearly had an episode with the amount of accident prone residents that flooded through the hospital doors a few weeks ago, it'd be a shame if that happened again now wouldn't it?'

Matt narrowed his eyes at Lucas in irritation, he would not be threatened; however, he did not want to provoke the man before him just yet. 'What do you want Lucas?'

Lucas laughed then shrugged, the truth is he just wanted to see what Harvard was up to these days as Gail was going out of her way to spend more time with him. Matt had no real power here anymore and Lucas did not deem him to be a threat, so he would leave him be for now. 'Oh I'm just checkin' up on you Doc, with Billy-boy having an incident a week ago I wanted to make sure that all of our Doctors hadn't snapped'

Matt had chosen not to get involved in the drama that appeared to be surrounding Billy recently, he had noticed that Gail was keeping her distance and decided that was the best course of action for the moment. 'I can assure you there's no lapse in concentration or judgement here Sheriff' he said walking towards the large window in his office and peering out of it.

'That's good to hear Doc, I suppose I best leave you to your work...that file on your desk looks mighty interestin' and I wouldn't want to interrupt your readin'' Lucas said sarcastically and left the office, leaving Matt to let out a long sigh of relief.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Gail stood in her office staring out of the large window, trying to push down her frustration. It had been three days since she had found the mangled bodies and she had been unable to dig up much information regarding the matter. A media ban had been put out on the incident, after one of the elite men's club meetings that she had chosen not to attend two days ago. Although her Editor Mark had warned her not to go against the order, which had come from the owner of the Trinity Guardian, she had chosen to put on a professional outfit and take to the streets.

Gail always tried to give off an air of importance when she chose to dress officially for her role. She had chosen to wear a short grey work dress with a black cardigan and her hair was tied up in a messy bun, she found that when she dressed in her casual clothes some residents would not take her seriously; therefore, she had dressed the part and managed to interview over a dozen residents. Unfortunately, as Lucas had kept to crime well hidden she had been unable to gain any solid leads and now she just felt frustrated.

A knock on the office door brought her out of her thoughts and she turned towards the interruption when the door opened. 'Caleb...what are you doing here? You should be in school'

Caleb shrugged and entered the office, then ran and jumped on the couch in front of the window. 'I wasn't feelin' well...' he lied, '...so I thought I'd come to see my guardian'

Merlyn had took Caleb to one side a few days ago and explained that they needed to look after Gail, she said his cousin was going through a few things and he needed to help make sure she was alright. Caleb had wracked his brain trying to think of a way to help then just decided to come and spend some time with her, regardless of the consequences of missing school.

Gail sighed and shook her head, 'It appears you're well enough to jump around on my couch' she said agitated.

Caleb smiled, 'The fresh air must've made me feel better...Let's do somethin' cous', we ain't done anythin' in a while'

'I'm working Caleb, I can't just drop everything...Besides, if you're feeling better we should get you back to school' she said approaching him and ruffling his hair.

'Nah, Miss Coombs already let me go...Come on, you don't look busy and I miss you!' he said feigning sadness.

Gail laughed, 'You miss me from all of 3 hours ago when I dropped you off at school?'

'Maybe I miss you all the time' he said sarcastically.

'Or maybe you're just trying to get out of school...I suppose we could go do something for a few hours just us, I've hit a dead end here anyway'

Caleb smiled and stood up, 'Great...can we go get some food? I'm starvin''

Gail sighed and grabbed her cardigan from behind the door. 'Come on, we can't have you wasting away can we?' she said then signaled for him to leave the office with her.

* * *

Billy stood pacing the hospital corridor nervously, he was due a meeting with Doctor Charlton who was also a chairman of the board at Juniper House and he was unsure of how he was going to talk his way out of what he had been caught doing the previous week. He would never intentionally hurt a patient and the fact that he had been caught with his hands around a patients throat had caused some doubts about his own metal state.

Billy believed he had suffered some psychotic episode due to some unforeseen stress and he hoped Doctor Charlton would go easy on him, rather than just dismissing him. Lucas had released him and agreed not to record the incident at Gail's request. He hated to think of what she had to do to convince Lucas to forget about the matter when he had him dead to rights, but he was grateful for his friends intervention.

Gail appeared to be keeping her distance from him, which he was not pleased about; however, after what he had witnessed and experienced in the cell when they were all together, he thought a bit of space could be a good idea and it allowed him to re-evaluate his feelings and why he was in this town. He realized now that his misguided feelings had been a mistake and he had been a fool to try to act on them with Gail, especially when she was with Lucas.

'It's good you've finally come to your senses Doc, I'm glad you learned somethin' from you're stay in my cells' Lucas said from behind him.

Billy turned around and stood tall, he regarded Lucas like a predator and knew if he showed weakness he was likely to pounce. 'I can assure you that my temporary lapse in judgement has completely gone Sheriff, but don't think it was anything to do with you'

'Oh I see Billy-boy...' Lucas said taking a few steps closer and squaring up to him, '...you just went a little stir crazy and now your miraculously better?'

Billy took a step forward so their faces were nearly touching. 'Whatever happened to me is over Buck, put it down to something being in the water here if it makes you feel better but I'm cured and I'm back to my old self'

'Is that so?' Lucas asked and felt his twin trying to rise to the service, he sensed the familiar resistance Billy projected when he first came to Trinity and his twin clearly wanted to snuff it out.

'Am I interrupting something gentlemen?' Doctor Larry Charlton asked, not liking the body language coming from either man. The last thing he needed was a fight to break out with the Sheriff in this hospital.

Billy held his ground for a moment and stepped back. 'Not at all Doctor...we were just having a chat'

'Well it's me you're here to chat with Doctor so let's head to my office and get this over with' Larry said and signaled for Billy to follow him, he recognized the look of mischief on Lucas's face and he wanted to get as far away from the firing line as he could.

'That's right Billy-boy, you run along now...I'll be sure to give my love your regards when I'm servicing her later' Lucas said smugly and smiled at the look of fury on Billy's face when he followed Larry to his office.

* * *

Selena sat outside the coffee shop waiting for Gail to arrive, the woman had agreed to meet her after school at 4:30pm; however, it appeared her nemesis was running late. Selena did not like the feeling of being stood up and considered leaving, then saw Gail approaching with her cousin at her side. 'Feeling better Caleb?' she asked disapprovingly and smiled when the boy hid behind his cousin.

Gail rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky in exasperation. She did not have the patience for herself or her cousin being scolded at this moment in time; therefore, she decided to remove him from the equation. 'Why don't you go see Ben for a little while so me and Miss Coombs can talk in private' she said to Caleb and smiled when he rushed towards the Sheriff's Station across the road.

'That boy will become difficult when he gets older' Selena warned, taking a sip of her coffee and pushing the latte she purchased for Gail towards her unlikely acquaintance.

'Who's saying he's not difficult now?...' Gail asked then took a seat opposite Selena and picked up her latte, '...So, what's so urgent that I had to come meet you? I'm busy Selena'

'Oh you look busy playing out with your cousin' Selena said cattily.

Gail shook her head and took a sip of her drink. 'If you're going to be your usual irritating self I might as well just leave'

'Calm down, I wouldn't want the lovely Miss Emory to have a fit...I called you here so we could talk about Billy'

Gail sighed, she hated the way Selena referred to her; however, if she bit back it would only drag this out. 'Billy's none of my concern, I'm not his girlfriend. I have enough on my plate without having to deal with any more drama'

Selena laughed and shook her head. 'Oh I see, you have the perfect relationship with our Sheriff so you're happy to discard all your friends now?'

Gail bit her lip in frustration, she had assured Lucas if he did not officially record the actions Billy had been caught doing that she would take a step back from her friend. She had no intention of discarding her friends completely for Lucas Buck; however, Billy had started to become obsessed with the thought of them getting together and she believed some space would force him to get over it. 'I'm not even going to dignify that comment with a response, what's the problem with him now?'

Selena glanced around to ensure Lucas was not lurking somewhere waiting to interject himself into their conversation, when she was happy he was nowhere in the vicinity she sighed. 'I did what you said and reminded him of what we have so our relationship is fine, but now he's got a meeting with some big Doctor over the incident Lucas took him in for...If he gets fired, I don't know what he'll do'

Gail let out a small laugh, she had become fairly close to Doctor Charlton with him being an old friend of her fathers and he had not mentioned any meeting with her friend. He was the most important figure in the medical community in this town; therefore, she knew no-one else would be handling this matter and she was disappointed that she was not aware of what was going on. 'He won't get fired, the incident was never made official so there would be no grounds for that...' she said standing up and taking hold of her latte, '...Leave it with me, I believe my cousin is long overdue a visit to the hospital to see Matt Crower'

Selena smiled, 'Well in that case I'll disregard how quickly your cousin appears to have recovered from his illness and leave you to do whatever you need to in order to make this right'

Gail nodded and headed towards the Sheriff's Station to gather Caleb, it appeared she might need to pay her old friend Larry Charlton a visit.

* * *

Matt Crower stood at the Nurses station talking to Rita, he did not want to jinx it; however, he was surprised his previous visit from Lucas had not caused is patient appointments to increase and he was allowing himself a moment to relax with his colleague.

'So what do you think Doctor Charlton wants with Billy?' Rita asked, word had gotten around the hospital that the two men were having an important meeting.

Matt was aware of what Billy had done after Gail had confided in him one night last week, but he would never let on to anybody what they discussed in private. 'Whatever it is, it's none of our business...You like Billy so why are you so willing to gossip about him behind his back?'

Rita shot Matt a shocked look, Billy had always been good to her; however, she knew something was going on with the strange way Ben had been acting and she could not condone any bad act, even if it was from someone she liked. 'I'm not gossipin', I'm just curious...is that such a bad thing?'

'It is when the person you're gossiping about isn't here to defend himself' Gail said approaching the pair with Caleb in tow.

Rita smiled when she saw Gail, she would like to consider her a friend and wished she would let her in to her inner circle; however, Gail was very closed off and only appeared to really trust Ben, Matt and Billy. 'I'm not gossipin' Gail! It's just very strange that the new head of Juniper is gettin' dragged here for some mysterious meetin''

'I agree...' Gail said with a warm smile, '...if Matt doesn't mind watching Caleb maybe we should go and find out what all the secrecy is about'

'You and Rita?' Matt asked trying to project some caution to his friend.

Gail gave Caleb a quick hug and pushed him gently towards Matt. 'Oh absolutely...I for one want to know what all the fuss is about and who better to accompany me than someone who has worked closely with our good Doctor Peel' she said sarcastically and signaled for Rita to follow her.

Matt glanced at Caleb who just shrugged, he did not know what Gail was up to but he trusted his friends judgement more than ever these days; therefore, he believed there was no harm in letting her run around unchallenged.

Rita smiled excitedly as she walked towards Doctor Charltons office with Gail, she had never wanted to get involved with the Generals of the town as she liked to think of them; however, being with Ben and spending time with Gail gave her a bit more courage to step into the firing line. 'What do you think's goin' on Gail?' she asked.

'I have a pretty good idea, but let's hear it from Doctor Charlton...Now you let me do the talking, do you understand?' Gail asked as they reached the office door.

Rita had no desire to talk in this situation and nodded in agreement.

'Good...deep breaths' Gail said with a wink and opened the office door without knocking.

Billy had been sat listening to Doctor Charlton's lecture about the importance of being there for the patients and the importance of honesty between colleagues. He had not come out and scolded Billy for what he had done; however, he sensed that part was coming soon and decided to say his piece on what happened before Doctor Charlton had a chance to. 'Look I know it seems like I have malicious intent against that patie...Gail?' he said in shock when she walked through the door confidently, with Rita following close behind.

Doctor Charlton turned angrily towards the interruption, then his features softened when he saw who it was. Her timing could not be worse as he had been waiting for Billy to confirm what he suspected had happened at Juniper and it appeared he was about to do just that. 'What's the meaning of this interruption?' he asked.

Gail smiled and shook her head. 'Oh I don't know Larry...' she said sweetly, '...I was under the impression that this hospital had nothing to do with affairs that took place in Juniper and if a meeting was required, this would be put to the board of directors'

Larry shifted uncomfortably on the spot, the truth was he knew something had gone down a week ago; however, Lucas refused to comment on it and the staff present at the time were sworn to secrecy. Larry did not like being kept in the dark so he had taken matters into his own hands to find out what had transpired. 'There's nothing official going on here Gail, just two colleagues talking'

Gail approached Billy and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'Is that right? It appears to me and my lovely friend Rita here that Doctor Peele was summoned here against his will for some sort of interrogation, what I don't understand is on what grounds you have to do that?'

Billy let out a sigh of relief at his friends appearance, he wanted to interject and explain that the actions he had been caught doing warranted this meeting; however, he remained silent when he felt Gail's hand squeeze his shoulder hard.

'Gail I...' Larry started but stopped when he saw something in her eyes change.

'You what Larry? As far as I'm aware the Sheriff has not given you any cause to step in here, which means you've gone behind everyone's back trying to goad a man into confessing to something that you have no evidence of...Either that or the Sheriff has informed you of something, unbeknownst to all of us and in that case I'd need to have a conversation with him' Gail said sternly. She felt something inside her stir and slowly rise within her, the thought that either this Doctor had gone behind her back or Lucas had made her angry and she felt the sudden urge for a release.

'Does she need to have a conversation with me Larry?' Lucas asked casually, leaning against the wall behind Rita. He had sensed Gail's presence when she had entered the hospital with Caleb and as soon her anger began to fester he could not resist but to interject himself into the situation.

Larry felt uncomfortable under Gail's unwavering gaze and the appearance of Lucas had not eased his discomfort. 'Not at all Sheriff...I was just curious about something is all' he said deflated.

Gail shook her head slowly at the man before her and eased her grip on Billy's shoulder. 'It appears everyone around here is curious about something...You need to mind your own business and leave my friend alone'

Larry looked at Lucas for help and when it was clear he was getting none he just nodded. 'I'm sorry for wasting your time Doctor' he said to Billy then walked out of his office to get away from the tension.

Billy stood up and smiled at his friend. 'Well i nearly got myself into a whole hell of trouble there'

Gail forced a laugh, 'I'm sure you've not done anything that warrants any trouble friend' she said and glanced towards Rita to indicate Billy to keep his mouth shut.

Rita moved closer to Billy as she did not feel comfortable with Lucas being behind her. 'That was great Gail, why don't we all go get a coffee and you can fill me in on what's goin' on?'

'You two go, I've got something I need to do' she said and signaled for them to leave the office, when they had gone Lucas closed the door so they were alone.

'Care to tell me what that was about Darlin'?' he asked walking towards Larry's desk and sitting down on it.

Gail shook her head and closed the distance between them. 'I just can't stand people going behind my back to hide things' she said calmly, still feeling the anger rising within her.

'Oh please, Larry's harmless...this little stunt was just him trying to hold on to what little control I allow him to have. You can't be takin' that personally, so what is this?'

The truth was that Gail was getting sick of being frustrated, she was getting nowhere with the murder she was investigating and she was no closer to finding information on Lucas's past. Her emotions were all over the place at the moment, she just wanted to let go of everything and see where it took her. 'As if you care about what's bothering me, we have an understanding and that's all' she said pushing him back slightly on the desk and climbing up to straddle him.

Lucas smiled devilishly, 'That's all is it?' he asked as he ran his hands up the sides of her bare legs and twisted his fingers in her thong.

Gail lifted his chin up and stroked his cheek. 'What more could you offer me Sheriff? You don't have a heart'

Lucas ran his hand up her back under her dress and stroked it softly. 'Excitement...mystery...intrigue...all of them are more important to you than love Miss Emory' he said knowingly.

'I suppose love is overrated' she agreed and let out an aroused breath when he ripped off her panties, then she reached down to release his manhood from his pants.

'That's my girl' he whispered then started kissing and nipping her neck.

Gail allowed him access to her neck, then positioned his manhood carefully and took him inside of her. She could feel the anger within her starting to subside and knew this was the release she required. It was starting to concern her how much she still craved him, as she had expected the urges to have decreased in intensity; however, the intensity was increasing and she did not want to allow herself to be consumed by a need for someone else.

As she began to move up and down, Lucas gripped her tightly and thrust his hips up higher to enable him to get as deep within her as he could. He could sense her conflicting feelings with something and he would have to get to the bottom of what was bothering her soon if he wanted their relationship to progress; however, right now he was too caught up with the pleasure of her closing in around his manhood.

Gail began to speed up her movements and started to ride him, she had not intended for an intimate meeting with him here but now that it was happening she craved the full release only he could give her. She smiled when he gripped her behind tight and wrapped her legs around his waist when he lifted her up and slammed her against the wall.

Lucas sensed the darkness within her just below her surface and knew she craved his rough side; therefore, he chose to take control and thrust in and out of her rigorously while he pushed her against the wall. He smiled to himself when he heard her aroused moans and she bit at his neck playfully, he kissed her passionately and increased the intensity of his thrusts when he felt his orgasm rising.

Gail clawed at his back and bit her lip in an attempt to not alert anyone outside to their current activity, it was wrong doing this in Larry's office; however, the chance to of getting caught excited her and she felt herself unravel with every thrust. When he exploded inside of her and pushed his head into her chest to stifle his moans, she bit down on his shoulder to silence her own yell then rested her forehead on his.

'Well this was unexpected' he panted as he leaned up to kiss her lips softly.

'Don't...' she said pulling away and signaled for him to release her, '...I've gotta go'

Lucas pulled out of her and placed her down carefully, he watched as she walked straight over to the desk and started cleaning herself up. 'So that's it?' he asked confused.

Gail sighed and walked towards him, he had given her the release she needed; however, she still could not push away her frustration of late. 'I told you, we have an understanding and that's all...Now get out of my way, I need to go find my cousin'

Lucas shook his head at her apparent detachment and moved aside so she could leave the office. He made himself presentable, then followed her out and watched her walk down the corridor towards Matt Crower's office.

'Did you two sort out what you needed to Lucas?' Larry asked, approaching with a cup of coffee.

Lucas forced a smile and turned towards the man. 'We did what we needed to do, next time take more care not to step above your station Larry' he warned, then started to walk out of the hospital.

* * *

It was after 11:00pm when Gail rolled over in her bed and realized she could not sleep, so she had decided to take Rocky for a walk to clear her head. She could not stop thinking about the way she had left things with Lucas; however, she felt like she was drowning here in this town and she believed a lot of it was to do with Lucas. She was started to realize how much of herself she had lost over the past few months and it was about time she tried to regain some of her goodness, she just was not sure where to begin.

A dark figure lurked behind a bush watched Gail closely, it started moving from bush to tree trying to follow her movements without being spotted. When she stopped as the dog had starting sniffing a fence, the figure moved closer skulking across the dim lit street.

A sudden feeling of unease swept through Gail and she felt goosebumps form all over her skin. The darkness within her began to stir and she had a strong urge to turn around; however, part of her was concerned about what she would find. Gail saw Gideon appear from behind a bush in front of her with his teeth barred and he began to growl loudly, she took a deep breath and quickly turned around to face whatever was behind her; however, there was no-one in the street but her and the wind picked up all around her.

Gail did not like what she was feeling and began to walk backwards towards Gideon, knowing the dog would protect her. Suddenly Rocky's lead broke free from her hand and the dog bolted into the park to her right.

Gideon's growls became louder and Gail cursed out loud, then ran after Rocky with Gideon running to stay close by her side. When she entered the park she quickly located Rocky and grabbed his lead, when she pulled him away from a bush she saw a mangled bloody hand and screamed.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Ben watched as the dead body was wheeled past him in a black body bag and started to wonder what he had done wrong in a previous life to have to be dealing with the strange deaths in this town. He had been out in the park since the early hours of the morning after Gail had called him to advise if someone with some common sense did not show up on the scene immediately, she would be be writing an article on the incompetence of the Fulton County police department. Ben liked Gail, but he really wished she would have just called Lucas.

He glanced past the police 'Do Not Cross' tape and spotted Gail pacing, she looked to be in a worse mood than he was at this moment in time and he was glad he was not the only one suffering.

'You look deep in thought' Matt said as he approached Ben with a cup of coffee.

Ben shook his head and sighed. 'I'm just wondering about what I did to deserve being dragged into this strangeness so early in the day'

'I'm sure Gail's wondering the same thing considering she found the bodies and has been out here all night' Matt said judgmentally and smiled when Ben visibly displayed remorse for his selfish thoughts.

'I thought she'd be lovin' the excitement of findin' three dead bodies in less than a week, it'll be a great story for her' Ben said.

Matt let out a small laugh, 'I think she's more concerned with why it's her that keeps stumbling onto these things Ben...So let's talk the body' he said taking a sip of his coffee.

'Let's do that Harvard' Lucas said from behind him and smiled at Matt's look of disdain.

'Nice of you to finally join us Sheriff...The body was mangled like the other two. Flesh has been torn from the victims arms and legs, it appears the chunk that was taken from the victims neck was the death blow but I'll know more when the coroner takes a look' Matt said and walked away from the men.

'What is this Lucas? Three deaths in a few days isn't good, do we need to put out an alert to ensure the townspeople stay in doors?' Ben asked.

Lucas ignored Ben's questions and stared towards Gail, he could tell she was trying to hide how shaken up she was and he wanted to know why she had not called him straight away. 'Have you interviewed our witness Deputy?' he asked.

'What Gail? Well no, Floyd was on the night shift and he took down her statement'

Lucas laughed at the thought of Floyd performing a thorough interview and started to walk towards Gail, it was too much of a coincidence that she had found all the bodies when she was out alone at night and something was not sitting right with him.

Gail saw Lucas approach and signaled for Matt to leave her, when her friend reluctantly left she stepped under the police tape Lucas had lifted up for her and followed him to a quiet spot in the park with a bench. Gail sat down and looked back at the crime scene, she had been escorted home to drop off Rocky after Floyd and another policeman showed up. She had chosen to return to the park after calling Ben as the men were not interested in what she had found but she was a witness. Both men were incompetent; therefore, she kept the full details of what happened to herself, now that Lucas was here she supposed she should give him the full story.

'Before we start, how are doin' Darlin'?' he asked concerned.

'You don't wanna know...next question' she said in an agitated tone.

Lucas regarded her carefully, he could sense her unease at being here but she was not rushing to get away from the scene. 'What did you see?'

Gail let out an uneasy laugh, 'It's not what I saw it's what I felt...I swear both times I felt someone was watching me, I don't know who and I didn't actually see them but I know they were there'

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her, this was getting more curious at the minute. 'Someone like who Gail? Did they say anythin' or did you catch a glimpse of whether it was a man or a woman?'

Gail shook her head, 'Nothing at all...one minute I'm walking and the next I feel eyes on me, this time it felt like the figure was coming closer but as I turned around they were gone. That's when Rocky ran off into the park and I found him next to the body'

Lucas placed his arm around her, to provide her with some warmth and comfort. She had no reason to lie about anything so he did not doubt her account of what happened; however, he had not sensed anything untoward last night and he was usually aware of any wrong doing going on in his town. When Gail shrugged off his arm in a blatant disregard of his gesture, he began to get irritated and his soft features turned hard. 'You should know better than to go out alone at night when there's a killer on the loose Miss Emory, or had you been drinkin' like the last time and your common sense was dulled?' he snapped.

Gail looked at him defensively and went to bite back; however, she remembered they were in public and she would not make a scene. 'I was under the impression the first killing was an animal attack Sheriff, had I been properly informed by the authorities I may have shown more care about walking my dog alone at night'

Lucas smiled to hide his frustration, 'I'm not convinced this isn't an animal attack Darlin' but had you told me you were being followed after the first attack I might have come to a different conclusion'

Gail stood up from the bench and turned towards him. 'Had you done your job properly in the first instance and been open minded, there may not have been a second occurrence Sheriff...You need to lift this media ban and warn your townspeople to be careful, if you don't I'll find a way to' she said and stormed out of the park.

* * *

Merlyn sat with Rocky on the front porch of their house, she had heard Gail come in after midnight and found out about the bodies she had stumbled across. Merlyn was worried about her cousin, she had to deal with a lot this last week and the bodies she found would not help the situation.

Her cousin had returned home half an hour ago and jumped straight into the shower, Gail had arranged for Miss Holt to take Caleb to school and she was getting ready to head straight out. Merlyn had decided she was going to try to assist her cousin; therefore, she was waiting patiently on the front porch for Gail to freshen up before telling her she would be joining her and she would not take no for an answer.

Gail had dressed in casual clothes to enable her to be comfortable throughout the day, she had chosen a pair of jeans with a grey T shirt with a green cardigan and checked in the mirror to ensure she was presentable before heading out of the front door. She stopped for a moment when she saw Merlyn sat on the porch swing, then proceeded to walk towards her car. She was being pleasant to the girl and had been all week; however, she was not in the right frame of mind to deal with whatever this was and wanted to get away from her as quick as possible.

When she went to open the drivers side door she felt Rocky nip at her jeans and turned around to see Merlyn behind her. 'Have I not left you enough stuff to keep you going through the day?' she asked, trying to remember if she had left food for them.

Merlyn smiled sweetly, 'You've left more than enough but we don't need it as we're coming with you'

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'I've got far too much ground to cover today without having to babysit...go back inside and I'll see you later' she said dismissing the comment and getting into her car.

Merlyn walked Rocky around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, ignoring Gail's unimpressed look. She shuffled the dog to the back seat and she sat in the front. 'I'm ready when you are' she said, choosing not to acknowledge her cousins previous response.

'You're kidding right?' Gail asked trying to control her anger, when the girl just smiled sweetly back at her she sighed in exasperation and turned on the engine. 'This is what it must feel like to others when I disregard their orders...With the mood I'm in today you better not get in my way, or I'm likely drop you both off at the side of the road to make your own way home'

Merlyn nodded to show she understood. 'We won't I promise, we're just here to help'

Gail shook her head and pulled out of the driveway, she knew she was going to regret letting them tag along; however, she was too tired to argue at this moment in time.

* * *

Lucas sat in his office turning his black magic 8 ball over in his hands curiously, there was something strange going on in his town and it was concerning that he could not figure out what it was. He had been thinking about what Gail had told him regarding the feeling of being watched and began to wonder why these crimes where happening so close to her.

At first he considered her dark half being involved in the attacks, due to her strange moods recently. He knew how much she loved that mutt of hers Gideon and he did not fully understand the full potential of her darkness or it's limitations, therefore it would not be too much of a stretch to assume the dog was involved; however, he was confident he could sense when her darkness was rising and he had not felt it last night, if anything he had managed to have a good nights sleep without any interruption.

A knock came on his office door and Ben walked in cautiously, his Deputy had been walking on egg shells around him ever since Gail stormed out of the park this morning and his unease around him amused him. 'What is it Ben?' he asked agitated at the interruption.

Ben handed him a file and stood nervously while he opened it. 'It's the coroners report Lucas, it's pretty gruesome'

Lucas looked over the report, then threw it down and stood up. 'Go pull the car around front Ben' he said walking around his desk and reaching for his jacket. His theory on Gail's mysterious dog being involved had completely been thrown out, now that it had been confirmed that the wounds on the victims were made by human teeth and not an animal; therefore, he decided it was time he started to seriously investigate the matter.

* * *

Merlyn stood holding Rocky's lead in the first crime scene with Gail, it appeared the police were not interested in this area since the second murder; therefore, Gail thought it was a good place to continue her investigation. Merlyn did a lap of the garden with Rocky, then called her cousin over when the dog had located something by a tree. Gail had rushed over and ordered them to stay out of the way while she reviewed what they had found.

Gail knelt down on the ground staring at the sliver chain with a key on it, it resembled the key she had found not long after coming to Trinity in her parents car and she recalled how she used to wear it on a chain around her neck. These murders were getting more intriguing, she had told Merlyn what had happened on both nights against her better judgement and the girl agreed that there was something strange about the whole thing.

'Didn't you used to wear something similar to that Gail?' Merlyn asked, when her cousin had not said a word for over 5 minutes.

Gail picked up the chain and placed it into her bag carefully, the police had completely missed it; therefore, she did not care about contaminating the evidence, as they were unaware the evidence even existed. 'I did and I don't want to know how you knew that' she said, walking back towards where she had found the bodies.

Merlyn followed her closely and watched as she searched the area thoroughly. 'What is it you're tryin' to find here Gail? Didn't the police take all the evidence'

'Well they didn't take the necklace did they? I'm not convinced small town police are capable of thoroughly investigating this matter...'

'Oh now Darlin', don't let my Deputy hear you say that. There's no need to get nasty' Lucas interrupted as he entered the backyard.

Gail sighed and rolled her eyes, she did not have the patience for Lucas's games right now.

'Well good mornin' Sheriff, fancy running into you here. What can we do for you?' Merlyn asked, sensing the mood change in her cousin.

Lucas turned his attention towards Merlyn, she was the last person he expected to be accompanying Gail considering she was the reason for her recent behavior. 'You can start by tellin' me what you're doin' on my crime scene Missy' he asked agitated.

Merlyn glanced towards Gail who was staring angrily at Lucas, then turned her focus back to him. 'We were just having a nice stroll with Rocky here and he ran into this garden, it was only right that we came in here to ensure he had not done anything untoward' she said sweetly.

Gail looked towards Merlyn and smiled, it appeared the lies flowed easily from the girls lips when she was talking to Lucas. 'That's right Sheriff and seen as there were no officers watching this active crime scene, we took it upon ourselves to guard it for you' she said feigning innocence.

Lucas looked towards Ben who was trying to hide his amusement and shook his head. 'Well I suppose I should thank you two ladies for watching this place for me...' he said playing along, '...Why don't I treat you both to dinner tonight to show my appreciation of your help?'

Merlyn could not hide the resentment from her face but before she could say anything Gail stepped in.

'As much as we appreciate the offer Sheriff, we have multiple murders to investigate...Maybe if your mind was not preoccupied with dinner, you'd have a better understanding of what's going on here' Gail said and started to walk out the backyard with Merlyn following behind.

Lucas grabbed Gail's arm as she tried to pass him and pulled her roughly to him. 'It's not an offer Gail, something is happening and you appear to be at the center of it. The safest place for you tonight is with me, especially if someone is watching you'

Gail felt the familiar urges start to fester within her at his touch; however, she used all of her strength to push them deep down. 'You mistake me for a fragile southern belle Sheriff...I've been in worse situations than this and I never hid away from any of it, so why would I start now?'

'Because I don't know what this is Darlin'...and that's concerning' Lucas said and stroked her arm.

'I'm sure Gail can figure it out with some help, you clearly need to regain control on your town anyhow' Merlyn interjected, she could not stand to see him so close to her cousin and the thought of them together sickened her. She did not want to offer her old ghostly assistance; however, if it got her cousin away from Lucas Buck she would not hesitate.

Gail looked down at the hand gripping her arm and gave him a look of warning. 'You heard the girl...' she said and smiled when he released her arm, '...it looks like I don't need you after all Sheriff'

Lucas felt the rage within him rise, it was taking all his strength to keep it under control so it did not target Merlyn. 'Don't do this Gail, it might not be safe' he warned, furious that she was still pulling away from him.

Gail laughed and patted Ben on the shoulder affectionately as she past him. 'I'll take my chances, you have a good day Sheriff' she called and left the backyard.

Lucas closed his eyes in an attempt to regain his composure, the fact that he could not sense the murderer in his town was making him more angry and Gail's blatant disregard for him at present was not helping the situation.

'Are you alright Lucas?' Ben asked cautiously.

Lucas shook his head and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. 'Is it just me or is she goin' crazy walkin' around with her dead cousin?' he asked in disbelief.

Ben laughed and patted Lucas on the shoulder. 'All woman are crazy, especially the ones we're involved with...If all she's doin' is acting a little strange, I'd take that over Rita's random outbursts any day'

Lucas laughed and started to survey the backyard, in the hopes of finding some evidence as to who was messing with his townspeople.

* * *

Matt on the boarding house porch waiting for Gail to arrive, he had tried to get her to stay home all day and relax with her finding the bodies last night; however, when she made it clear that she was going to do her own investigation, he made her promise to come and see him, so he could check up on her. This whole thing was mind blowing and he had been searching through the files of the victims all day hoping he would find something that would help the police, but whoever did this had covered their tracks well.

'Covered their tracks in what way?' Gail asked casually walking up the steps and sitting down next to her friend. Merlyn had told her to embrace her instincts and open her mind up to the strangeness that surrounded her; therefore, Gail had chosen to wonder around on her own and open herself up for the unexpected.

Matt smiled, 'What I think doesn't matter...how are you feeling?'

Gail sighed and rested her head on his shoulder when he put his arm around her. 'Tired and drained but that's never stopped me before. You opinion matters even if the likes of Lucas won't listen, now what is your theory...I promise it's off the record, I just want to get to the bottom of this'

Matt shook his head at what he was about to do, he should not discuss an unsolved case with a Reporter; however, he needed to talk this through. 'Fine, the bites were human but there's no DNA on any of the victims'

'What?...' Gail asked in disbelief, '...How do you tear someone's flesh off with you bare teeth and not leave DNA?'

'Well that's the mystery isn't it...' he said getting up and pacing the porch, '...There were no hairs found on the bodies, which I can explain away with the killer potentially wearing some sort of protective clothing, but for no DNA to be present? I just don't get it'

Gail stood up and leaned against the porch rail, the whole thing was bizarre and the more she found out the more questions she seemed to have. 'It's impossible is what it is Matt'

Matt laughed, 'Tell me about it...Lucas came by my office and asked if I found anything linking you to the victims by the way. I can't imagine him trying to pin this on his girlfriend, so I guess he must be worried about you'

Gail forced a smile and ran her hand through her hair. 'I suppose I should feel privileged' she said sarcastically.

'You should feel more than that, I mean the tin man is showing he might actually have a heart and care about someone other than himself'

'Don't be silly, he cares about Caleb not me...besides, I'm one of the few links they've found to both cases. Maybe he is considering me as a suspect' Gail laughed and walked down the porch steps towards her car.

Matt followed her down the path so he could see her safely to the car, he was also concerned that she was the only link in these cases. 'That would be a twist wouldn't it?...You make sure you head straight home and rest Gail, you look like hell and you're running on fumes'

Gail got into the drivers side of her car and sighed. 'Thank's for the compliment...' she said sarcastically and turned on the engine, '...Don't worry, I have no desire to be out here alone tonight so I'm going straight home'

'Alright, come see me tomorrow so I can make sure you're OK' Matt said and waved her off as she drove away.

* * *

A dark figure lurked behind a tree over the road Gail's house and smiled grimly when the red mustang pulled up the driveway. It watched carefully as Gail got out of the car and routed in the back seat for her backpack.

The wind in the area began to pick up and a gust of wind pulled her scent towards the figure, it inhaled deeply and felt a sudden urge to run towards the car while her back was turned; however, it chose to wait and watch for the time being. The timing had the be right for it's desired outcome and it had all the time in the world to wait.

Gail pulled her backpack out of the car and locked it up, an eerie feeling surged through her and she began to survey her surroundings to establish what was causing her unease. She was experiencing the feeling of being watched again and she wanted to find out who it was, so she began to move down the path.

She caught sight of something move in the corner of her eye and focused her attention across the street to a tree that was directly opposite her house, the darkness within her began to stir and Rosemary was calling to be released; however, Gail kept her pushed deep down and moved closer towards the sidewalk. When Gideon appeared out of nowhere from behind her and started growling at the tree opposite, she knew something was there.

Gail felt a sudden paralysis and she could not move, a dark figure appeared to the side of the tree where the street light shone and she felt a shadow of doubt fall over her. She had been stupid not to go straight inside her house like she told Matt she would and now she was stuck here. The figure grew bigger and Gideon's growls became louder, until they turned into loud barks.

Gail was at a loss of what to do to get out of this, she was too proud to will Lucas to come for her and she could not move or yell for help so she was just stuck. When Gideon stood protectively in front of her she looked towards the tree and saw the dark figure stood openly there, the evil grin that was visible in the street light caused her to be scared for the first time in a long time and she let go of her goodness to allow Rosemary out of her cage.

Rosemary pushed Gail to the back of her subconscious and stared at the dark thing before her, she could tell it wanted to come closer and she did not understand why it was waiting. Rosemary saw the malice in it's eyes but could do anything while Gail was frozen to the spot, suddenly a navy blue police cruiser pulled up in front of her and she let out a sigh of relief, then allowed Gail to take control again.

'Is everythin' OK Gail?' Ben asked through the open car window.

Gail had regained control of herself and could move again, she tried to hide her fear; however, the fact that Rosemary was worried about whatever lurked behind the tree had not reassured her. She glanced towards the tree and knew the figure that was previously there had gone. 'He was here Ben' she said and watched as he got out of the car, then rushed towards the direction she was staring.

When Ben could not find anyone lurking across the street, he returned to Gail then put his arm around her and led her back towards the house. 'There's no-one there Gail...don't worry though, I'll be stayin' here with you tonight and I won't take no for an answer' he said sternly and glanced towards the tree to find nothing there.

Gail would usually protest; however, she knew Ben was trying to help and she could do with some adult company tonight.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas Buck was in a deep sleep when the sound of his curtains being opened woke him up and the bright winters sun shone through the window. He rolled over in his bed and slowly opened his eyes, ready to punish whoever had dared enter his domain and wake him up; however, he relaxed when he saw Gail stood with her arms folded watching him intently. 'It's been a while since you chose to wake me up in bed Miss Emory, why don't you jump in here with me and I'll teach you the correct way of waking someone up?'

Gail shook her head at his boldness, he was here fast asleep while she had been tossing and turning all night thinking about the figure she had seen. Part of her did want to get under the covers with him; however, she wanted to get to the bottom of what was happening once and for all, so she needed to keep her focus. 'Well as tempting as that sounds, some of us have to work and can't just lay about all day' she said and started searching for his robe.

Lucas pulled her down on the bed playfully when she tried to walk past and opened the covers to reveal his naked body. 'Some of us appear to be workin' too much and need to learn how to enjoy the finer things in life' he said sitting up and leaning in for a kiss.

Gail did not pull away and allowed herself to enjoy the passionate kiss, if this is how he was all the time she would not stand a chance of resisting him; however, she had decided she would not allow herself to turn a blind eye anymore and she was fully aware that this was not his true self. 'Stop it Lucas...' she said reluctantly, '...I can't do this now'

Lucas pulled away and got out of bed. 'It appears you can't do this at all anymore Darlin'...Do I need to be concerned here?' he asked frustrated.

'Concerned with what? The murderer who's running around Trinity feasting on peoples flesh, or our relationship?' she asked defensively.

Lucas sighed, 'You know if anyone else made digs about my priorities or my capability as a law enforcement officer there would be hell to pay'

'I have no doubt of your capabilities Lucas, my problem is with your lack of interest in stopping what's happening'

'And my problem is your lack of interest in our relationship at this present time Gail...I will end this thing that's goin' on, it's inevitable but your mood swings and using me as some sort of booty call whenever you get the urge is becomin' distracting' he said putting on a pair of trousers.

'Booty call?...' Gail laughed approaching him and running her nails down his bare chest, '...For someone who used our resident school teacher in that very way, you're very judgmental. Besides, you've always know I don't want any of the conventional relationship stuff, so why are you now having a problem with this?'

Lucas grabbed her wrists and pushed her against the wall roughly, he sensed her arousal at his rough treatment and smiled. 'My problem is you pullin' away Darlin', not what we're doin'...It's time you stopped resistin' me and accept what we have' he said, pinning her hands above her head.

Gail inhaled deeply and looked longingly into his eyes. There was no point denying she wanted him, she had worked so hard over the past week in repairing her old barrier to allow herself some control over her urges; however, she was beginning to wonder if it would be so bad giving in to him fully, she was tired and knew being with him would make her feel better for a while.

Lucas sensed her resistance begin to fade and caressed her cheek with his free hand. 'See, it's not so hard is it?' he whispered triumphantly and leaned down for a kiss.

'Gail it's time we were goin'' Merlyn interrupted leaning against the bedroom door and smiled when Lucas cursed under his breath.

Gail had to bit her lip to stifle her smile at the girl causing such a reaction from Lucas and pulled free of his grasp. 'It appears it's going to be much harder than that Sheriff...' she said then walked towards Merlyn and turned back towards him, '...I need you watch Caleb today, I have things I need to do. I'm assuming that's fine with you?'

Lucas shook his head and laughed, these two were really beginning to irritate him when they got together. 'Watchin' my boy is always fine with me Miss Emory' he said and took pleasure in them both resenting him reminding them he was Caleb's father.

'Fine, you can drop him off home for 6:00pm. He's downstairs waiting for you' she said and left him in the room alone.

Lucas sighed and put on a deep red shirt, he had things he needed to do today also; however, he would never turn down the chance to spend time with his son.

* * *

Matt Crower got off the bus just off Jefferson Lane in Goat Town, it was his day off and he had chosen to travel here in an attempt to distract Gail from the current situation she had found herself in. He wanted to take her mind off the murders she had somehow gotten tangled up in; therefore, he had contacted her thirty minutes earlier to inform her of his current location and she had reluctantly agreed to meet him.

Matt walked casually down the street taking notice of all the boarded up houses in this part of town, he knew Goat Town was in need of some attention; however, he had not realized how bad it actually was. His train of thought was lost when he approached the building in the picture Gail had shown him, it looked like an old store of some sort and it appeared in much better condition than the houses he had just past.

The load roar of Gail's mustang could be heard coming down the street, Matt smiled when Gail pulled up in front of the building and got out of the car. 'Nice of you to join me Miss Emory' Matt said in a comical voice.

Gail laughed and shook her head. 'Well I didn't have much of a choice when you text me to advise you were stranded in Goat Town, did I Doctor Crower?'

'Don't be like that Gail, this is the perfect time to investigate this place while our Sheriff is preoccupied...Or have you changed your mind about trying to find stuff out about him?' Matt asked in a judgmental tone.

'Watch it Doctor...' Gail warned then approached the building, '...a few murders doesn't let him off the hook, I've just been a little busy with my apparent stalker is all'

Gail had confided in Matt about everything that had happened when she found the bodies and he was concerned for her; however, he chose to believe that Lucas would not let anything bad happen to his prize possession and knew the man would try to turn the situation around to benefit him. This meant Lucas's attention would be firmly set on the murderer rather than their activities and he would ensure they took advantage of that fact. 'Have faith in our good Sheriff Gail, he wouldn't let anything happen to you. Besides, you should let the man do some actual work for a change rather than solving the mystery for him'

Gail let out a long sigh, she would happily solve this mystery if she could; however, she had hit a dead end. Matt had brought her focus back to her initial subject of curiosity and she would not throw away the chance to investigate this place while Lucas was distracted. 'Well, you've got your wish...I dropped M off at my aunts old place of work at her request and Lucas is busy doing whatever the hell he does with Caleb, so it's just us here'

Matt smiled, he was actually looking forward to spending some real time with his friend. 'OK, you're the Reporter...what do we do first?'

Gail inspected the front of the quaint store, it had a unique look and stood out above all the other buildings on the street. She felt a strange vibe coming off the place and it made her more curious about it's origin. 'We need to find a way in' she said and proceeded to head behind the building, she smiled when she saw a back door which was not boarded up.

'There's no way we're going to be able to get in without damaging the door Gail...We need to be careful not to be caught trespassing' Matt said cautiously, but his friend ignored him and reached for the door handle. He could not believe it when he saw the door open with ease when she pushed it and shook his head at her cunning smile.

Gail had known the door would open for her, just as she knew Lucas's front door was always open for her. This place had a familiar feel and it was as though she had always meant to be here, these feelings were all new to her; however, she had chosen to just go with the flow and not try to explain it. Her gut and feelings had lead her this far, she had to trust she was on the right path.

When they entered the store, they were both taken aback by how well kept the place appeared to be. There was a a little dust which was to be expected; however, the pictures on the wall and books on the shelves appeared in really good condition. Gail approached the book shelves and instantly recognized the specialist books that were laid out neatly. She surveyed the main room at the front of the store and noticed what appeared to be talismans, small bottles and a few dream catchers placed around the store.

'This looks like the type of stuff Loris has in her study...' Matt said curiously, '...What is this place?'

Gail picked up a small wooden talisman and a bolt of pain shot through her as she experienced an intense vision, her head was flooded with images of a woman hanging pictures on the walls of the store. The woman was smiling and humming to herself, suddenly a young boy with caramel blonde hair ran up to her and handed her the wooden talisman. 'I was lookin' for this, I thought I told you not to play with things you don't understand?'

'I'm sorry Momma, can I keep this...please?' the young boy pleaded.

The beautiful woman shook her head sadly, 'You know how your Daddy feel's about these things sweetheart...now give it here'

The young boy went to pass the wooden talisman to her, then the sound of the bell above the door rang and the woman turned towards the sound with a worried look on her face.

'Gail?' Matt asked concerned.

The vision was gone as suddenly as it had came to her and Gail turned towards Matt. 'Sorry, I'm just tired' she lied and placed the talisman discreetly in her jacket pocket.

'I was just saying that this reminds me of some sort of cult merchandise' Matt said looking at the books on the shelves.

'It looks more like a Wicca store to me...My Uncle Abe told me there used to be one years ago in Trinity and he had found a lot of his specialist items from there. Maybe this was it'

Matt considered this, the more he looked around the place the more that suggestion made sense. 'Why would there be a place like that in Trinity?'

Gail laughed, 'Why not? We're in the deep south Matt, people are religious and superstitious. Personally I think it's a good business venture, it's a shame it was left like this...' the sound of her mobile phone interrupted her train of thought, she glanced at her text and sighed. '...It looks like our trip has to be cut short, apparently I'm wanted for further questioning'

Matt shook his head, he knew Lucas would use this to his own end. 'Do you want me to stay here and continue looking around?'

Gail was aware of a presence in here and did not want to leave Matt alone. 'Nah, I've got what I need...What you could do is keep M company while I sort out whatever Lucas wants, if you don't mind'

Matt really did want to help and although he still did not fully trust the girl, he accepted that Gail did and was happy to assist in any way he could. 'Not at all, drop me off and come get us when you're done with your psychotic boyfriend'

'Funny' Gail said and signaled for Matt to lead the way out, before she left she reviewed the books on the bookshelf and picked up one with a symbol she recognized from Lucas's house. She knew now that this place was connected to him and she was more intrigued than ever about his past.

* * *

Lucas watched as Ben tried to teach Caleb how to play poker, he supposed he should not condone his son playing this sort of card game; however, it appeared to be keeping the both of them busy in the Sheriff's Station reception, which allowed Lucas to consider the evidence in the murders. He was convinced Gail was connected somehow and was concerned when he opened up his mind's eye in an attempt to locate her earlier but was unsuccessful.

Although Lucas had sworn he would not use his powers to invade her privacy, he sensed something was going on and did not want to let her stray too far away from his grasp with a murderer on the loose who appeared to be interested in her in some way. He had decided to text her and requested she came in for further questioning, knowing this would enable him to keep an eye on her. When she did not argue, he began to wonder what she was up to and was patiently awaiting her arrival.

The bell above the door rang and Lucas did not have to turn around to know who had joined them. 'Welcome Miss Emory, so glad you could join us' he said charmingly.

'Gail!...' Caleb yelled and jumped up to meet his cousin, '...I'm beatin' Ben in poker!'

Gail glanced at Ben who just shrugged, then shot Lucas a disapproving look before turning her attention to Caleb. 'I drop you off with the Sheriff so you can have a fun day away from us boring girls and you choose to play a card game?'

Caleb shrugged and pulled himself up on the counter, then sat down. 'We had a fun mornin' fishin', but Lucas has to work and I didn't wanna intrude'

'The boy has been very well behaved and allowed me to pull my weight around here, whilst keepin' my Deputy outta trouble' Lucas said and winked at Caleb.

Gail shook her head at them both, she would never admit it out loud; however, she could see the resemblance in them both and it was good that Caleb had his father in his life. No matter how rotten her father was, she would have still appreciated him being around when she was growing up. 'Well seen as you're keeping Ben out of trouble, I don't suppose I can disapprove' she said ruffling her cousins hair affectionately.

'Good...' Lucas said with a smile, '...now that that's settled, why don't you accompany me to my office and we'll get this interview out of the way Miss Emory'

'Why not indeed Sheriff' she responded as smiled reassuringly at Caleb before she left him with Ben.

Lucas held his office door open for her and closed it when she entered, he wanted to ensure they had all the privacy they needed and he did not want Caleb to overhear their interview in case he became worried about his cousin. 'Can I get you a water or something else to drink before we start?' he asked.

Gail narrowed her eyes at him as he signaled for her to sit and shook her head. 'No thank you, I suppose we should just get this over with' she said, taken aback by his apparent professionalism. Usually he was making a play for her by now, with them being alone; however, he just sat behind his desk and opened up a file.

'Alright Darlin', let's begin. Tell me again what happened on the first night' he asked as he picked up a pen and note pad.

'There's not much to tell, I was walking home after a quiet new years celebration when I felt like I was being watched...Before I could survey my surroundings fully I heard a yell and ran towards the sound, that's when I found the bodies'

Lucas nodded and wrote on the pad. 'And the second night?'

Gail sighed, she had told the police what happened more than once but she would play along. 'It was pretty much the same, I felt like I was being watched but this time I was out walking my dog. Something made me feel uneasy and when my other dog made himself known, I knew I should turn around...before I could fully investigate, my dog pulled the lead then ran off into the park and I found the other body'

'Gideon showed up the second time?' Lucas asked without looking up.

'Yes, and the third'

'Third?' Lucas asked and stared into her eyes curiously.

'Well there was no bodies, but someone was across the road from my place last night...I saw the figure but it was too dark for me to get a good look, Ben showed up and stayed at my place with me last night. Didn't he tell you?'

Lucas placed the pen down harder than he had intended, he did not like not knowing what was going on and he was angry at himself for sleeping through his love's unease. He stood up and walked to the other side of his desk, then sat down on the desk in front of Gail. 'You didn't think to mention that this mornin' Darlin'?'

Gail regarded Lucas carefully, he was acting out of character and she was curious as to why. 'There was no point as I didn't get a good look at the guy...'

'What makes you think it was a man?' he interrupted.

Gail sighed, this was becoming tedious. 'Statistically a man is more likely to stalk a woman and Gideon reacts more to men than he does to women'

'That mutt showed up again last night...Is there anythin' else you haven't told me?' he asked irritated.

'No, just that something was off with the whole thing...usually I'm able to fight back in these types of situations, god knows I've been in enough bad spots but this was different and I couldn't move'

'Curious' Lucas said, not letting any of his thoughts or theories slip out.

'I suppose that's one way to describe it...' Gail laughed then stood up and moved in between his legs, '...So, what do you make of this Sheriff?'

Lucas inhaled her scent and used all of his self control not to try to take her, he needed to concentrate to end whatever was happening soon and being with her would only distract him further. 'I don't know what this is yet, but I will...I'd like you to stay at my place until this blows over Miss Emory'

Gail inhaled deeply then shook her head. 'Where would the fun be in that? Besides, I have another dependent you don't get along with who I can't just leave...Are we done?' she asked sweetly.

Lucas laughed at her blatant disregard for his concern. 'I suppose we are Darlin''

'Good...I don't want him playing that game Lucas. Make sure you drop him off on time later' she said and left the office.

Lucas watched her leave and considered the information she had given him. Gideon had shown up on the scene twice, had the figure watching her been just any old man he had no doubt the dog would have ripped him from limb to limb. Knowing the mutt could do nothing to help caused even more concern and Lucas would need to investigate this matter more thoroughly.

* * *

Merlyn sat on the front porch with a mug of herbal tea, Gail was sat on the other chair with a glass of red wine staring out into the apparent calm street. Lucas had dropped Caleb off as instructed and he had gone straight to bed after his evening meal, which left them alone and able to relax in peace.

Merlyn was thankful that Gail had allowed her time alone in her mothers place of work, it had made her feel more connected with her fallen family and even Matt Crower seemed to appreciate the good feeling that the building gave off when he arrived. Everything appeared to be coming together for her, the situation with her return was unusual to say the least; however, it was starting to seem like she may actually have a purpose and be able to progress with her life.

She turned towards her cousin and watched her closely, Gail had been very quiet since they returned home and had not stopped staring at the house across the street since they had sat on the porch. Merlyn watched as her cousin took a large sip of her wine and smiled. 'Can I try some of that?' she asked jokingly, trying to get her attention in a non intrusive way.

Gail laughed, but did not take her eyes off the street. 'Once you start on this type of drink you won't be able to stop, trust me'

Merlyn followed Gail's stare curiously, she could be mistaken; however, she thought she caught glimpse of a shadow by the tree across the street.

'Do you see it too?' Gail asked calmly and had another sip of her wine.

Merlyn focused her gaze on the shadow, then took a quick intake of breath. 'Is someone watching us?' she whispered, as though they would hear.

Gail shook her head, 'Watching me I imagine...I thought it was just my imagination playing tricks, but if you can see it too...'

'Shall we call Lucas?' Merlyn interrupted worried.

Gail laughed, finished her drink then reached for the bottle and poured herself another glass of wine. 'We're not depending on that man for anything...Do you want to try some of this?' she asked holding the glass out to Merlyn and standing up when Gideon skulked onto the porch.

Merlyn stood up with Gail, took the glass and had a cautious sip of the wine. The liquid had a bitter taste which ran down her throat and she tried to hide the grimace from her face.

'I suppose you're not old enough yet to appreciate this taste, that's a good thing...' she said leaning down and stroking Gideon whilst still focusing her attention across the street, '...You take Rocky and stay with Caleb tonight, I think my friend here is going to keep me company'

Merlyn watched Gail slowly back up towards the front door and followed her inside, she took one last glance at the figure across the street and shivered when she thought she caught sight of an eerie smile. 'Somethin's not right here Gail' she said when she felt a familiar unease, much like what she had previously experienced when the Boston Strangler had come to Trinity for her.

Gail locked the door with the strong bolt and chain, then turned towards Merlyn. 'There's a lot not right at this moment in time, one of which is my dead cousin talking to me right now...' she sighed and headed towards her bedroom, '...Just go upstairs to Caleb and keep Rocky with you, things will seem better in the light of morning'

Merlyn nodded obediently and started walking up the stairs, she did not want to push things with Gail and had to trust that she knew what she was doing.

When Gail was alone she entered her bedroom with Gideon and closed the door behind them, she had tried to remain strong in front of the girl; however, the truth is she was afraid and she could feel eyes on her even in here. Gideon began to let off a low growl and Gail surveyed the room to confirm they were alone, when the feeling of being watched did not subside she instinctively went to her top draw and pulled out the talisman she had found earlier that day.

Gail sat on her bed and turned the wooden object over in her hand, she did not know why but having it with her made her feel more at ease and the unnatural presence which she had sensed in the room began to dissipate. Gail let out a sigh and signaled for Gideon to jump up on the bed with her when his growls stopped. Part of her wanted to call Lucas; however, she would not allow him the satisfaction of believing she needed his help.

'It looks like it's just the two of us tonight' she said to the dog and placed the talisman on her pillow while she began to undress.

The dark figure lurked outside the bedroom window, there was an unexpected force which had pushed it out of the bedroom; however, it was content with watching it's prey closely until it found the perfect time to strike.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb Temple sat in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal, he had not slept well with his sister in bed invading his space last night and it appeared he was the first one up in the house. He had left his sister in bed sleeping and decided to make himself some breakfast seen as his cousin did not appear to be joining him any time soon.

Right now he was reading his cousins follow up story on Goat Town, the subject matter did not really interest him; however, he loved reading his cousins articles and being published in Trinity's most popular newspaper made her sort of famous. A quiet knock on the kitchen window brought him out of his thoughts and he glanced up to see Lucas's silhouette, he smiled to himself and rushed to open the back door to let him in.

'Mornin' son...' Lucas said ruffling his hair as he entered the kitchen, '...where's that ol' cousin of yours?'

Caleb shrugged, 'Still sleepin' I guess...her and Merly were up after I went to bed'

'Is that so?' Lucas asked curiously, then started to head out of the kitchen. 'You wait here and I'll see if I can get her up, we can't have her sleepin' in all day can we?'

Caleb smiled, 'No sir...but if she asked I didn't let you in'

'Got it' Lucas said and shot his boy a wink, then headed towards Gail's bedroom. He himself had slept in later than he usually did when he did not have company, he had in fact appeared to be in a deep slumber every night this week and was surprised that the mysterious incidents had not disturbed his sleeping patterns. He pushed the thoughts to one side when he quietly opened the door and spotted Gail stretched out comfortably in bed with Gideon at her feet.

Lucas slowly closed the door and shot the dog a warning look when it started to let off a low growl, Gideon heeded his warning and quietly jumped off the bed then took up residence in the corner. Lucas took off his shirt and pants, then got under the covers and between Gail's legs. He gently pulled down her soft silk shorts so not to wake her and softly licked her sweet spot.

Gail let out a low moan and opened her eyes when she felt his tongue, she had not slept well at all and could have done with being left alone; however, she could not be mad at being woken up in such a pleasant way as it felt so good. Feeling in a mischievous mood due to her lack of sleep, she let out a louder moan. 'Billy' she called out in an aroused tone and smiled devilishly when Lucas shot up in the bed.

'Come again Darlin'?' he said angrily pinning her hands above her head.

'Oh I'm sorry, it must've been a slip of the tongue' she said jokingly and nipped at his bottom lip playfully with her teeth.

Lucas shook his head and released her hands. 'That's not funny Gail'

'It's kind of funny' she said and tried to get her hands free of his grasp.

Lucas pulled her up, spun her around on all fours and parted her legs with his knees. 'That type of behavior deserves a punishment Miss Emory' he said and spanked her bare behind hard, then thrust himself inside her roughly.

Gail gripped the pillow tight at his painful yet pleasurable entry and pushed her head into her pillow when he started thrusting in and out of her. This was not how she had envisioned her Sunday morning starting; however, this satisfied her craving for him and she had not even had to go to him for it.

Lucas stroked her back tenderly then gripped her hips and pounded in and out of her harder, his desire for her was so intense that he needed a release right now and he was not concerned with their usual foreplay. He was aware there had been no resistance from her so he continued pounding until he felt himself explode within her and sensed her climax not long after his.

Lucas pulled out of her gently, reached for a tissue to clean her up then lay down and pulled her onto his chest. 'I suppose that wasn't our usual style but it did the trick' he panted and stroked her back.

Gail lay on his chest and tangled her nails in his chest hair, for the first time all week she had felt at ease and she was not in a rush to let go of that feeling. 'I'd say it hit the spot just nicely...' she said and kissed his chest, '...how did you get in? I ensured this place was locked down tight last night'

Lucas laughed, 'Locks and chains won't keep me out Darlin' you should know that by now'

Gail spotted Gideon in the corner of the room and remembered what had happened last night. 'It's not you I'm concerned about keeping out' she sighed and rolled over.

Lucas propped himself up on an elbow and stroked her stomach. 'Did somethin' happen last night?' he asked, sensing her concern.

Gail took a deep breath and glanced at the talisman on her bedside table. 'Nothing I couldn't handle' she said getting out of bed and looking for some clothes.

Lucas watched her for a moment, then spotted the wooden object on her bedside table. He recognized it instantly and felt the rage flare up within him. 'Where did you get this?' he snapped, grabbing the talisman as he got out of bed.

Gideon stepped in front of Gail and began to growl, she pulled on her robe then turned her full attention to him. 'I stumbled across that yesterday, what do you care?' she asked, noticing the change in him.

Lucas laughed and tried to hide his anger, not only was she pulling away from their relationship but she was still snooping trying to find dirt on him. That was the only explanation why she would have something from his mothers old store and he cursed himself for not being aware of her activities. 'Trespassing is a crime Darlin', I care as I shouldn't have to lock up my girlfriend'

'Oh please, is that what I am?...' Gail said taking off the robe to pull on a pair of jeans and a vest, '...you're just pissed that I'm getting close to something'

Lucas found his pants and went to put the talisman in his pocket, when she reached for it and pulled it out of his grasp. Lucas stared at her willing her to challenge him and smiled when he saw the defiance in her eyes. 'Come on Gail, let's just hash this out...You're only digging to hide your true feelings about us, god forbid the lovely Miss Emory fully gives herself over to someone as despicable as me' he said sarcastically.

Gail felt a shadow of threat come over her; however, she pushed it away due to her sheer anger at being called out like this. 'You think I could truly care about you?...' she asked bitterly, '...I know what you are and I loathe it. You're just scared I'll find something which makes me end this for good'

'Scared? Darlin' you wanna turn that judgment back on yourself...What I see when I look at you is a scared little girl who still craves for her Daddy's approval. Considerin' the man used you for an ashtray, I'm surprised you still hold on to his resentment of me. If you were thinkin' for yourself you'd realize what you actually have here' he said viciously.

'You mean a curse?...' she spat back at him and tried to push down the feeling of being watched, '...All you've given me is a lost child and a damaged one, because of you I'm stuck here and that boy of yours won't have a normal life. You're a curse to everyone you meet Lucas!'

Lucas could not hold down his rage any longer and it burst out of him, Gideon ran to the window and began to bark; however, Lucas just stood on the spot and watched Gail's look of horror.

Gail glanced towards the window Gideon was barking at and saw the dark figure which had been following her all week, clarity hit her and she suddenly knew that the thing outside was Lucas's rage and it was directed solely at her. 'What did you do?' she asked in shock and watched as Lucas's smiled maliciously at her.

'I don't do anythin' Darlin', things just happen'

Gail took her eyes off Lucas when she felt Gideon back into her legs and turned toward the window, the dark figure was now in her bedroom and grinning at her devilishly. Gail was fully aware that this thing was in her house with the children not far outside her bedroom door and Lucas appeared to not to be helping. She thought back to the book she had read in the Buck Mansion on possession and against her better judgement decided to give in fully to her dark half Rosemary, in an attempt to gain control of the situation.

Rosemary took control of Gail and walked towards the figure, now that she knew what she was dealing with she was more confident with taking it head on. 'I knew you'd do something eventually which would make her accept me, you men are so predictable...Are you going to call off your hell hound or am I going to have to get involved?'

Lucas stood where he was and watched curiously as Gail's dark half came to the surface, it had been a while since he had dealings with it and although it did not seem to like him he was intrigued. 'I wasn't aware my hell hound was loose until now, I suppose I should get it caged before it hurts someone it shouldn't' he said and the dark figure disappeared.

Rosemary smiled at the ease in which he took control, his darkness was calling out to her whether she liked him or not and like Gail, it was hard for her to resist. 'If I was you, I'd control yourself...my other half is too good for the likes of you and it'd be a shame for her to discover too much of your true nature'

Lucas nodded and smiled reassuringly when Gail came back to him. 'Are you OK Darlin'?' he asked, unsure of how much she had witnessed.

Gail pulled Gideon close to her and shook her head. 'Get out of my house Lucas' she said sternly, she needed time to digest what she had seen and did not want to be anywhere near him.

'Gail...'

'Leave now before I reconsider my decision to let you near my cousin ever again' she interrupted, not wanting him to find a way to talk himself out of this.

Lucas shook his head, then put on his shirt and left the room. Gail let out a sigh of relief when he left and looked at the talisman in her hand, could he really have been involved with the dark figure and the murders? She knew what he was capable of and needed time to think.

* * *

Lucas drove around town trying to establish what had just happened, in a strange turn of events it appeared the killer they had all been looking for was him. He did not feel remorse, that was a feeling reserved for children and the people who lost their lives had been saved from a pointless lifetime of misery; however, Gail now knew what he had done and he doubted her true reaction when it sank in would be one of acceptance, like it had been when he nearly choked Calvin Harris to death.

Even though Lucas knew no-one was truly innocent in his town, the people caught up in this would appear that way to her and she would not be forgiving. He needed to get a handle on this and quick, before it all spiraled out of control. Lucas knew what he had to do as he instinctively drove to the Bentley families farmhouse. This was the easy part, what was going to be difficult was figuring out why his rage had turned on Gail.

He had felt frustrated with her behavior recently, she had clearly been pulling away from him when he had given her no reason to and that had angered him. At least with Selena all he had to deal with was her possessiveness and her need for intimacy; however, with Gail he was dealing with her inner struggle between the good and bad within herself. It was obvious she was still trying to hold on to her goodness, what she did not understand was these attempts were futile and the darkness she willingly let out earlier was going to take over, it was inevitable on the path she was currently going down.

It appeared to him that she was trying so hard to deny her true feelings for him that she was unaware her darkness was working it's way to establish a permanent hold on her. The first thing she did was let 'Rosemary' out when she felt threatened rather than just talking to him, when he had realized the manifestation was him he would not have allowed it to hurt her; however, she was too proud for that.

Lucas pulled up to the farmhouse and got out of his car, Edwin Bentley was chipping wood and forced a smile when Lucas approached him. Seeing one of his townspeople try to hide their fear of him always made him feel good and he stood tall as he addressed the man. 'Mornin' Edwin, I'm not disturbin' am I?'

'Not at all Sheriff...' he said nervously and put down his axe, '...what can I help you with?'

Lucas smiled and patted the man on the shoulder, usually he would take great pleasure in collecting on one of his deals and make people squirm; however, he had other concerns to be dealing with, so wanted this done as quickly as possible. 'You remember that time when you and the late Bobby Morley were out drinkin' by the river?' he asked casually.

Edwin inhaled deeply and tried to hide his discomfort. Of course he remembered, he still had nightmares about holding Bobby's head under the water in a drunken rage until his body became lifeless.

'Good...' Lucas said reading his mind, '...so you remember what I did for you?'

'Of course I do Lucas, how could I ever forget how you helped me?'

Lucas's smile grew wider, he loved this part. 'That's good...that boy of yours, he's still into shootin' up in the old pharmacy down in Goat Town right?'

Edwin had disowned his son a long time ago, the boy still lived with them; however, he barely acknowledged him. 'I'm past caring what that no good low life does'

'Excellent, so I can count on you or your family not to interfere when I take him in for questioning later?'

Edwin felt an uneasy feeling in his stomach, he may have disowned the boy but it was his first born and he did not trust the look in Lucas's eye. 'The boy's been home every night this week Lucas, what would you wanna talk to him about?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head. 'Oh Edwin we go way back you and I, so I'll let that comment go...I have it on good authority that your boy was unaccounted for every night this week, I trust this isn't gonna be a problem?'

Edwin saw the look in Lucas's eyes change, he had been good friends with Carter Bowen and he knew what had happened to that family when they had defied Lucas's wishes. He had another son and two daughters to think about; therefore, he would not go against Lucas. His eldest had gone down a bad road, if he was a good boy Edwin assumed Lucas would not be visiting him at this moment in time. 'Will you go easy on him at least?' Edwin asked deflated.

Lucas smiled and held out his hand to shake on it. 'I'll do my best...but the boy has a lot to answer for'

Edwin shook Lucas's hand then reached for his axe, 'There won't be a problem Lucas' he sighed and went back to chopping his wood.

Lucas headed back towards his car, it never failed to amaze him how easily people gave up their loved ones when they were trying to cover their own hide.

* * *

Caleb sat in the back of the car with his arms crossed, when Lucas left abruptly earlier it had upset him as he had enjoyed spending time with his father yesterday and had hoped they would be doing something today. Instead Gail got them all up and made them come for a drive, to add insult to injury she had made him sit in the back seat with Rocky and allowed his sister to sit up front.

When the car pulled up at an old building he just looked out the window moodily, he was not happy at all with the girls in his family and he wanted to let them know.

Gail opened her car door and glanced towards Merlyn when Caleb did not get out of the back, Merlyn just rolled her eyes and headed towards her mothers building; therefore, Gail opened the back door to let Rocky out and sat down next to Caleb. 'Have I done something to upset you?'

Caleb just shrugged and continued to look out of the window, he had not expected his cousin to get in the back with him; however, he would not back down.

Gail sighed when Caleb just sat with his arms crossed staring out of the window. She had planned on bringing him here as a surprise so he could learn more about his mother; however, he did not appear to care about doing anything with them. 'Caleb, I don't need this right now...If somethings bothering you then say it, if not you can just stay here if you want and we'll go inside without you'

Caleb turned towards his cousin and shot her a moody look. 'You can do what you want, I wanna see Lucas' he snapped and turned back towards the window.

Gail shook her head in exasperation, got out of the car and slammed the door. She walked up to Merlyn and whispered something to her, then returned to the drivers side of the car and got in. 'If that's what you want then fine...I was trying to do a good thing here, but it's completely lost on you so let's just go see your father' she said calmly, trying to hold back he anger and started the car.

* * *

Ben sat behind the counter reviewing Danny Bentley's paperwork, Lucas had called him in on his day off informing him that they had caught their killer; however, something did not seem right and the fact that the boy was crying in his seat swearing he was innocent did not help ease his doubts. Lucas had left him out front with the boy while he went and sat in his office, Ben was reading through the 22 year old's file when the bell above the door rang.

Ben looked up and cursed out loud when he saw Gail walk in with Caleb, he could do without Gail's presence right now when he was trying to establish what was going on. 'Afternoon...You've not done anythin' that would cause your cousin here to want me to lock you up now have you?' he said sarcastically to Caleb.

'Me?...' Caleb asked laughing, '...quite playin' Ben'

Ben watched as Gail stared curiously at Danny and tried to get her attention. 'Well if you ain't done nothin', why is your cousin here draggin' you into the Sheriff's Station on a Sunday?' he asked and stood in front of Gail.

Gail turned her attention to Ben and sighed, 'Because he believes he's going to have a better day with someone other than me'

'And who would that be Darlin'?' Lucas asked coming out of the office and smiled when Caleb came to stand next to him.

Gail shook her head in disgust and turned towards the young adult in the corner. 'Care to share what you've done to that poor soul to make him that upset Sheriff? I'm sure police brutality would make a great cover story for tomorrow's Guardian' she said cattily.

Lucas laughed and put his hand on his boy's shoulder affectionately. 'Actually you've come down here at the perfect time Miss Emory, you've beaten all the other Reporters in this town to the scoop' he said in his best southern drawl.

'Lucas don't, I'm not convin...' Ben started, then stopped speaking at the look of anger Lucas shot at him.

Gail took no notice of what Ben had started to say and focused her attention on Lucas. 'Go on Sheriff, I'll bite...Who is this young man?'

Lucas led Caleb around the other side of the counter and towards Danny Bentley. 'This ma'am is the killer we've been searchin' for...it looks like you finally have an ending for your story'

Gail laughed, he had to be kidding. 'Him?...that weeping boy in the corner brutally killed three people by ripping their flesh off with his teeth? You don't really expect people to buy that'

'He's a killer?' Caleb asked curiously.

'No he's not' Gail cut in before Lucas could answer.

Lucas smiled cunningly and walked back towards Gail, he was aware she knew deep down it was him that had murdered those people; however, he wondered how much she would allow herself to accept if he was giving her another suspect. 'The boy has no alibi and I've got it on good authority from his father that he was meeting up with the victims the night they died'

'I swear I didn't do nothin'' the boy stuttered and continued crying.

Gail moved closer to Lucas and leaned on the counter. 'Stop this Lucas...you and I both know he didn't do it'

Lucas's smile grew wider, 'If not him then who Gail?'

Both Ben and Caleb focused on Gail, she did not like all eyes on her and could feel something dark drifting closer to her surface. 'What game are you playing?' she asked Lucas, trying to ignore everyone else in the room.

Lucas came out from behind the counter so he could stand next to her, she had not yet confessed what she knew and he was now curious as to how far her loyalty would stretch. 'No game Darlin', you were adamant that these attacks were not animal related and here we are with a perfectly plausible suspect...You're saying you're sure it's not him, so tell us who it is then?'

Gail shook her head slowly, something within her warned her not to say his name and her gut was telling her to be careful. She knew he had something to do with this whole thing, but why would he murder three people and could she really look the other way anymore? She could not prove what she knew deep down and that's where he had the upper hand, if she had evidence against him her conscience would not let her turn a blind eye; however, she had nothing solid to tie him to the crime and it was worrying that part of her found all this exciting. 'I was wrong, it clearly was an animal who did this' she said through gritted teeth.

Lucas took a step towards her so their bodies were nearly touching. 'When pushed, an animal can do strange things Miss Emory'

Gail somehow knew he was referring to her pulling away from him and she felt sick, how could she be so drawn to someone this despicable and still stay true to her morals. She could sense he was watching her very closely and monitoring her reaction, she did not know why but she knew whatever happened next would be important to him. 'When pushed, a woman can do strange things Sheriff' she said and took a few steps back to create some space.

Lucas laughed then smiled charmingly at her. 'I certainly wouldn't want a woman to feel pushed'

'Then back off...' she said sternly and glanced at Ben, who appeared to be trying to keep out of everything. She could not let an innocent boy be locked up when she knew he did not do anything, so she had to step in. '...That boy's innocent, it must've been an animal attack'

Ben knew Gail did not believe that and he could not understand why her story had changed. This whole exchange was confusing and concerning to him.

'You heard the woman Deputy...cut him loose and write the report' Lucas said and watched as Ben obediently followed his orders.

'Come on Caleb' Gail called out to her cousin and signaled for him to follow her out of the Sheriff's Station.

'But I thought you were going to leave me here with Luc...' Caleb started, then stopped when he saw the angry look come across his cousins face.

'I trust your story will detail our findings here Miss Emory' Lucas asked smugly.

Gail forced a laugh and shook her head. 'I'm not writing this story Sheriff' she said bitterly and held the door open for Caleb. She would not write an untrue account of what happened; therefore, she would have to give up on the story.

'That's a bit dramatic don't you think Darlin'?' he asked reading her mind.

Gail just smiled sweetly then closed the door and headed to her car with Caleb, she needed to have a long hard think about whether she was willing to accept what she was becoming. As it stood, she appeared to be assisting Lucas Buck get away with murder and she needed to decide whether this was the way she wanted her life to go. She could not explain exactly how he did it or prove it to anyone; however, what she had seen earlier today was proof enough to her.

'Did I do something really bad?' Caleb asked, sensing her bad mood.

Gail let out a long sigh in exasperation, then put her arm around her cousin. 'You can't help who you want to spend time with, just not now OK?'

Caleb nodded, he sensed something had gone on with the pair and he did not want to get involved. 'Alright cous', so what are we gonna do?'

Gail opened the front passenger door and signaled for him to get in, then went the the drivers side and entered the car. 'Well, we can go swing by and pick up our missing family member then have a Star Wars marathon on the big TV...How does that sound?'

Caleb smiled and nodded in approval.

Gail forced a smiled and turned on the engine, keeping the children entertained would give her a chance to contemplate what she was doing here. This situation had been an eye opener for her and she was not sure she could be who Lucas wanted her to be. She needed to make a choice once and for all on whether she could accept his true nature or whether it would consume all the goodness that was left in her.

-The end-


End file.
